Booking the Perfect Hotel Abroad

When embarking on a great adventure abroad, booking hotels can be daunting! And I've certainly seen my fair share of terrible housing - hotels and hostels. But there are definitely steps you can take to hedge your bets and land a nice hotel.

Take the Local Economy into Account

A $30/night hotel means VERY different things in Pair verse Thailand. For $30 bucks in Paris you might just get mugged and see some very mysterious stains on the covers. In Thailand you're staying at the Ritz! True story, we stayed at the fanciest hotel of my life in Thailand for next to nothing. It had a bidet, heated toilet seat and unlimited free snacks. It was awesome! Especially since we are used to staying in hostels and travel on a budget.

Read TONS of Reviews

Obviously, I recommend good ole fashion Trip Advisor, but also look for blogs. I like hearing travelers' first-hand experience - just make sure they are trustworthy and have a similar travel style to yours. Be on the lookout for paid blog posts as that may create a bias. Read the best AND worst of each hotel, but rely on the middle reviews.

Trust Your Traveling Friends (wisely)
Finally, ask your friends for advice! Hopefully you have nice, reliable friends who live a similar lifestyle/ travel style to your own. Before you ask for their favorite place to stay, be sure to get an idea of their preferences. Are they a hotel kinda gal? Or a backpacking hostel lover?

If you need help deciding which hotel is best for you, I'd love to help! Check out my website at MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com. 

Best Barbecue in Austin - Salt Lick BBQ

While in Texas, we knew we absolutely had to try some barbecue. We did quite a bit of research before ultimately settling on Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood, Texas. Of course, there are countless barbecue restaurants from which to choose, but we only had the chance to try out one. Fortunately, we are very happy with our choice!

Salt Lick has an amazing entrance. You can see your food being made on this huge roasting pit.

You would think that would be gross, but it totally wasn't! Everything smelled delicious!

Next we made our way to our tables, which are fun picnic tables. The establishment was absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately, it was quite cold but otherwise we would have sat outside and enjoyed the gardens. In fact, there is an on-site winery! The actual restaurant doesn't serve alcohol (and is cash only!!) but you can walk next door and get a bucket of beers or a nice wine. 

Now, on to the food. Oh. My. Goodness. It was unbelievably good. It felt kind of like a family picnic. It wasn't fancy, but boy was it good! The plates were plastic but it actually kind of added to the experience somehow. My favorites were the mac n cheese and pulled pork! I'm not a fan of beans or coleslaw, but my husband was very pleased with those. I would say the brisket and chicken were also delicious but still were not as good as the pulled pork. SO. GOOD. 

You may need to get a reservation as it is a very popular establishment. In fact, they even had signs asking you take no longer than an hour and a half to enjoy your meal if there is a wait. When we went there were plenty of tables, so it may depend on when you go. I imagine weekends there may be a bit of a wait. 

If you'd like help finding the best restaurants for your next trip, I'd love to help! Check out MilesIntoMemoriesTravel.com.